Dalston Deli – Freshly Made Focaccia

[Ad- gifted experience] Focaccia bread trended during lockdown, with so many people learning how to make bread. It’s soft, it’s delicious, it’s often quite satisfying to eat. Dalston Deli has taken focaccia bread, baked daily, and created a bunch of packed sandwiches that are filled with fillings and sauces made in house. Their focus on freshness is reflected in the number of sandwiches they have each day; only 50! So pre-ordering the sandwich you’d like is heavily recommended.

Pulled Pork & Fish Finger Focaccias

Dann selected the Fish Finger focaccia sandwich, which was packed with fish fingers, a vibrant tartar sauce and some lettuce. Dann said that the sauce was a good amount for the bread, and the bread itself felt very fresh. I had the pulled pork, which was in a lovely sauce. Mine also had plenty of sauce for the amount of bread and the bread did feel super fresh. I mention the sauce as often with focaccia, making a sandwich with that much bread can be quite dry. My pulled pork sandwich also had a bunch of vegetables on it, which felt lightly pickled, adding a good amount of texture. The bread is baked daily for these sandwiches, which really elevates the food.

Beef Croquettes & Wild Garlic Croquettes

The Dalston Deli has a bunch of sides that you can get with your sandwiches. We picked two types of croquettes, though you could also pick slaw if you’d fancy. The beef croquettes did not skimp out on the pulled beef, making for a very filling croquette. The wild garlic croquette however was the real star. If you like garlic and creamy potatoes, there is really no way you should miss out on these. They are both very crunchy, come out hot, and come with a slightly sweet and spicy mayo-based dip. I personally felt that neither of the croquettes needed the dip, as they are so full of flavor on their own!

Drinks at Dalston Deli

With each purchase of a sandwich, for the two weeks this pop-up is at The Co Kitchen, you can pick a free drink. The choices are between two beers and a homemade lemonade. Dann got a beer and enjoyed it! Who doesn’t like a free beer? I went with the homemade lemonade which had a great balance of sweet and lemon. It’s a smaller cup, I would have happily purchased a second to go with my order, so it’s really a fantastic little drink. Lemonade is always so fun for me as it’s a staple in America.

Getting your food at The Co Kitchen

The Co Kitchen itself, which is where the Dalston Deli pop-up is being homed, is based on a dark kitchen concept. There are a bunch of different kitchens inside this location, allowing people to purchase from any of the kitchens via a touch screen or through a QR code. Once you have purchased, you will receive a QR code on your printed receipt or via email. When your food is created, it is placed in a locker, and you can use your QR code at a scanner to receive your food. This means that you can get your lunch or dinner without having to talk to anyone, just a simple system of technology. The lockers themselves are quite fun and this entire concept seems so futuristic. There are two outdoor tables and one indoor table, but Dalston Deli is focused on primarily takeaway! With that said, my only real complaint is that the packaging these sandwiches are in are cardboard, so the areas that had a lot of sauce on them from my sandwich did get quite soggy and almost melted from the moisture, so do be careful with the packaging!

The Dalston Deli is only in The Co Kitchen until September 11th, so if you want a fantastic, freshly made sandwich, don’t wait to long!

Check out some of our other restaurant reviews!